I couldn’t hide my smile, so I rolled my eyes and led him to the door. “See?” I said as the key fit the lock and I opened the door.

“Yeah, I see. You weren’t lying.” He followed me into the basement. “This is huge. And really nice. When you said you were living in a basement, I think it conjures images of dinky spaces with no light, cobwebs, and a growling furnace. This is by far nicer than any place I’ve ever lived.” He milled around the space, running his fingers along the edge of the pool table. “You play?”

I had used the pool table, just not for pool.

“A little.”

“Then let’s play.” He grabbed two sticks and handed one to me.

Midway through our game, the door upstairs opened and footsteps followed. Brendon shot me a narrowed-eyed glance. Of course, he had to be thinking … who would be coming down the stairs? Surely, I locked the door. Right?

Wrong.

You didn’t lock the door when you secretly hoped your landlord would sneak down with a condom so you didn’t have to stay stuck at an eighty-percent virgin status.

“Hey,” Fisher said coming to an abrupt halt at the bottom of the stairs.

“Hey,” I said. “What’s up?” I pretended that his uninvited trip downstairs was no big deal.

Was he coming downstairs to take the rest of my virginity? I thought a million things along that line.

“I’m Fisher.” He ignored me and made his way to the pool table with his hand held out for Brendon.

“Brendon.” My non-date friend shook Fisher’s hand. “You have an amazing house.”

“Thanks.” Fisher shot me a quick glance.

I bit my lips together for a second before realizing we were suspended in silence. “Fisher built this house. He’s really amazing.”

“It’s great, man. Really incredible.” Brendon rested the end of his pool stick on the floor and leaned into it casually.

“Thanks,” Fisher said once again while shooting me another glance, this time with his head slightly canted and an unusual look in his eyes. “I think that’s the first time you’ve complimented me on my skills.”

My eyebrows shot up my forehead. “Oh? I don’t know about that. Did you …” I dropped my pool stick on the ground with my fidgety hands, and it made an embarrassing clank. “Uh …” I quickly retrieved it. “Did you …” I totally forgot what I was going to say or ask.

“Did I …?”

“Uh … need something?”

The smile that swelled on Fisher’s face was almost too much to handle without wearing more absorbent panties. “Yeah, I needed something, but it can wait until you don’t have company.”

Brendon’s cool expression morphed into something a little more uncomfortable like he sensed a third-wheel feeling.

“Was it about work?” I made an effort to normalize the situation.